At 4-0, Ninth-Ranked Men's Lacrosse Remains Undefeated
Issue   |   Tue, 03/10/2015 - 23:05

The men’s lacrosse team rolled to two decisive wins this past week, remaining undefeated on the season at 4-0. On March 7, Amherst cruised to a 20-4 victory in front of a crowd of 275 for their home opener against Bowdoin.The Jeffs then traveled to Skidmore on March 10, where they came away with a 16-7 win.

Charlie Gill ’16 started things off early on Saturday, scoring the first goal of the game just 28 seconds into play. Under a minute later, fellow junior Dylan Park notched a goal of his own, and Quinn Moroney ’16 added one more to wrap up the first-quarter scoring.

Thanks to a goal from Kane Haffey ’16, Amherst increased their lead to 4-0 to start the second quarter. Bowdoin’s David Nemirov mounted a small comeback, scoring back-to-back goals, to bring the score to 4-2. However, that was as close as it would get, as Amherst would go on to score four unanswered, giving them an 8-2 cushion. The two teams traded goals at the end of the half to leave the score at 9-3 heading into the intermission.

The Jeffs entered the third quarter firing on all cylinders, as they scored eight unanswered goals, including three from Haffey. Moroney also recorded a goal and three more assists to add to his growing point total. With a 17-3 advantage, a number of new Jeffs received playing time, as many first-years scored their first collegiate goals. Sophomore goalkeeper Cody Tranbarger had 19 saves on the day, and Amherst routed the Polar Bears by a final score of 20-4.

On Tuesday, the Jeffs got off to a fast start, as Haffey led the way in the first quarter with three goals and two assists. Moroney dished three assists of his own, and Kevin Curry ’15 also had a goal and assist to give the Jeffs an 8-0 lead. Amherst would not relinquish its lead, maintaining at least a five-goal advantage for the remainder of the game. Tranbarger had 13 saves on the day, and Amherst won by a final score of 16-7.

Haffey now leads the NESCAC with 18 goals on the season, while Moroney leads the conference in both assists (19) and points (26). Amherst is off to a promising 4-0 start, and the team leads the NESCAC in total goals scored, ground balls and saves — demonstrating their talent on all sides of the ball.

Up next for the Jeffs is Endicott at home on Friday, March 13 before they leave for their spring break trip, where they will face Washington College and Hamilton.